Author: Thomas Turner

…My wife very ill all day. Oh, a melancholy time! What will become of me I cannot think. Very little trade and always so afflicted with illness–but let me not repine at that, as it is the will of the Supreme Being, which always knows that is better for us than we ourselves. Possibly it is good for us that we have known affliction.

Gave Mr John Babcock 12d for going to Lewes for me for a gold ring for Sam Elphick, which I am to be paid again. Joseph Fuller Jr smoked a pipe with me in the evening.

…Mary Heath a-washing for us all day and dined with us on a piece of beef boiled, a piece of veal roasted, a light pudding and a gooseberry pudding and some greens… At home all day, but very little to do. My wife very ill. In the evening read one of Tillotson’s sermons.

At home all day. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s dinner. My wife very ill. Lent Mr Francis Elless my horse. Mr Stone paid my wife a visit. Read part of Hervey’s 2nd volume of Meditations. Posted my day book.

Myself only at church in the morning… I stayed the communion and gave 6d. We dined on the remains of yesterday’s diner with the addition of a piece of veal boiled and some greens. Myself and servant at church in the afternoon… Molly Fuller drank tea with my wife. In the evening Thomas Davy at our house, to whom I read 3 of Tillotson’s sermons. My wife very ill all day. Mr Stone paid her another visit.

My brother Moses came over to stand the shop for me is [???] a-serving the funeral of the wife of Henry Osborne… About 2:30 I set out for the funeral where I gave away the following gloves:

2d chamois women’s

Mrs Kenward	1	Dame Lewer	4
Mrs Elphick	2	Dame Martin	5
Goldsmith’s servant	3	The servant maid	6

in all

men’s 2d chamois

1	Mr Thomas Osborne	8	Will Goldsmith
2	Henry Osborne Jr	9	Edmund Elphick
3	Henry Osborne Sr	10	Richard Page Jr
4	Will Osborne	11	Thomas Lewer
5	Mr Kenward	12	The Rev Mr Porter
6	Mr Goldsmith	13	Thomas Turner
7	Mr Elphick

Men’s in all        13 pairs

Women’s in all      6

Expended in all     19

We brought the corpse to church about 5:50 where we had a sermon suitable to the melancholy occasion from the 31st verse of the 17th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles: “Because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom be hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” Nothing should, I think, have a greater effect upon the mind of man to admonish him to forsake his evil ways and prepare for eternity than such instances of mortality, unless it be the unbounded goodness of Almighty God that suffers so many of us still to continue in this life that we my repent and return unto Him whom have behaved to as rebels and apostate creatures. I say, how striking must this be upon the minds of men to think that we are not cut off for our multiplied transgressions, nor sent down quick into the grave for our daily impieties! Oh, would man but wisely consider this and in due time make his peace with God (through the merits and intercession of our Savior Jesus Christ) and prepare himself for an eternity, how would the fear of death approaching be turned into that of hope and comfort and even joy itself! And the putting off this mortal body would be it were only a transition from a state of trial and probation, of trouble and pain, to an eternal state of joy and happiness in heaven where we shell with angels and archangels be incessantly praising and blessing and adoring our heavenly Father and also our only Savior and Redeemer.

In the evening went down to Jones’s to the vestry where was Joseph Fuller, Thomas Fuller, Joseph Burgess, Will Piper, Ed Foord, John Vine, Richard Page, John Cayley and myself, but I did not stay… My brother William came to see me in the afternoon and stayed all night. Lent my brother Moses my horse to go to Lewes upon tomorrow. My wife very ill.

…My brother Will stayed and drank tea with us in company with Thomas Davy and then went home. Mr Thornton and Thomas Davy played at cribbage at our house all the afternoon. I lost one penny a-betting by. At home all day. My wife very ill, though I hope something better…

My brother brought home my horse in the forenoon. He stayed and dined with us on the remains of yesterday’s dinner, but then went away directly. Mr Thornton and I played a few games of cribbage in the evening; I won one penny. At home all day. My wife very ill; Mr Stone paid her another visit.

…About 7:30 Thomas Davy, Thomas Durrant, and Mr Thornton and myself went to the widow Horsecraft’s at Chiddingly. The account of our going was this: the good woman buying spirituous liquors of me, I have long since proposed to go and spend 6d with her, which was this night agreed to. I spent 8d and came home about 11:20, and in a manner quite sober. Our [late] servant stayed at our house all night. My wife something better.

…We dined on part of loin of mutton boiled, a piece of bacon and some greens. In the afternoon my brother came over and stayed and drank tea with us, as did our late servant, and then both went away. Paid Mr Sam Beckett in cash 4.13.6 in full… At home all day. My wife continues ill.